Thursday, March 4, 2010

Thursday, February 25, 2010

Some experts believe that willfully or forcefully causing joints to crack is unhealthy for the joints, but others believe it causes no lasting damage. Chiropractors often manipulate certain joints to the point of cracking and some people may get relief from aching finger or neck joints when their joints crack. However, if you experience pain when your joints crack or you have swelling of the joints, you should see a physician. They may recommend medication to relieve the pain and swelling and will check for damage to ligaments, tendons, or cartilage.

Tuesday, February 23, 2010

Sometimes your neck can have a stiffness in it. You could try cracking your neck, however be aware that some doctors believe that neck cracking carries serious risks.

Cracking the neck is an age-old practice that is commonly carried out by barbers in Turkey, India, Vietnam, Malaysia, the Philippines and many other Middle Eastern and Asian countries. It normally follows a shoulder, neck and sometimes face massage conducted at the end of the haircut.

In Turkish public bath houses, neck and back cracking is part of the intensive massage and stretching programme normally carried out by attendants after the bath proper.

Friday, February 19, 2010

Hypermobility versus clinical instability

With hypermobility, ligamentous laxity can produce tight, achy muscles and may lead to early onset of arthritis. Instability, on the other hand, can be a serious, even life-threatening condition. It usually results from significant trauma or from certain diseases like rheumatoid arthritis (not the degenerative type of arthritis otherwise referred to on this page). In clinical instability, the excessive motion of the vertebrae can cause pressure on nerves and the spinal cord leading to serious neurological problems. Hypermobility is not clinical instability. Furthermore, a person with a hypermobile spine does not usually go on to develop clinical instability.

But when you crack your neck you also stretch the loose ligaments further which makes the muscles tighten up again. It’s a vicious cycle.

When you crack your neck and back, it often feels good afterwards, especially if there was a great deal of tension or pain prior. The reason it feels good to crack your neck and back is because pressure is being relieved. Just as when any of your joints crack, gases are being released from within the synovial membranes. This release can cause a temporary relief of pressure or pain. In most cases though, the pressure or pain will return.

1. There are some studies that indicate cracking the neck may be linked to an increased risk of stroke.

2. In some cases, chronic neck cracking can lead to loss of elasticity in the ligaments, which forces the muscles to work harder and tire easier.

3. When they do not return to normal, this causes a condition known as hypermobility.

When you crack your neck and back, you should avoid forcibly stretching your joints beyond normal range of motion. Since there is some research that indicates cracking joints can lead to arthritis, it may be best to avoid forceful cracking. If you experience frequent neck and back pain, which may or may not be relieved when you crack your neck and back, you should visit a doctor. There could be underlying causes, including injury or a degenerative condition.